THE proposed waste-to-energy (WTE) project that the Cebu City Government plans to undertake could become detrimental not just to the environment but also to the health of the city’s population.This was what environmental experts said during the 2022 CSO Waste Summit, a multisectoral forum organized by the Philippine Earth Justice Center and other pro-environment groups in the city at the University of Cebu Main campus on Tuesday, April 5, 2022.The forum aimed to tackle the effects of the proposed WTE deal set to be signed by the Cebu City Government and New Sky Energy Philippines Inc.Dr. Jorge Emmanuel, an adjunct professor of environmental science and engineering at the Silliman University in Negros Oriental and former chief technical adviser on global environment projects of the United Nations Development Program, said should the city government push through with putting up a WTE facility, it could pose a threat to the environment and the people.Emmanuel said WTE incinerators emit extremely toxic chemicals called dioxins and furans.Inhalation of dioxins and furans causes an increased risk of tumors, cancer, asthma and other fatal diseases, Emmanuel added.Emmanuel said these incinerator by-products don’t easily dissipate as they remain in the environment for a very long time.Dioxins and furans could stay in the environment for roughly 500 years and could affect 10 to 40 generations, he added.Emmanuel added that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, particularly its Environmental Management Bureau, is incapable of conducting monitoring of dioxins, furans and other toxins that is essential to protecting public health and the environment.“You cannot test for dioxins through ambient sampling. The only way to test dioxins is through stack sampling, and yet DOST (Department of Science and Technology) approved this one technology. I would definitely like to see the details of the ETV (environmental technology verification) for the New Sky,” he added.On a legal standpoint, the proposed WTE project is also not allowed under the country’s laws.Lawyer Nikka Oquias of the Philippine Earth Justice Center, a pro-environmental law advocate based in Cebu, said the construction of an incineration facility to be used for a WTE facility is prohibited under Republic Act 8749 or the Clean Air Act of 1999.Oquias also questioned the accuracy and update of the data on the quantity and quality of waste composition in Cebu City and the lack of public hearing for the project.Cebu City councilors Nestor Archival and Alvin Dizon, who were among those who opposed the project, were there to reiterate their opposition to the proposed WTE deal.On their end, representatives of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama at the forum assured that the project is environmentally sound.Rama, who was represented by Cebu City public information officer Cerwin Eviota, said the project had undergone enough feasibility study, including studying its possible impact on the city’s environment and health.Last month, the Cebu City Council voted to give Rama the authority to enter into a joint venture agreement with New Sky Energy Philippines Inc. for the establishment of a WTE facility in the city.Rama said the WTE facility will be built at no cost to the city.But opposition councilors questioned why approval was given in the absence of a feasibility study from the project’s proponent, including the identification of the location for the facility, among other things.On Saturday, April 2, majority floor leader and Cebu City Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia announced that the WTE deal was now up for a Swiss challenge, opening the proposal to a third party firm that can challenge the original proponent.